Insecurity experts from cyber security firm Cylance disclosed two vulnerabilities in the firmware of Gigabyte BRIX small computing devices.

The flaws allow an attacker to write malicious content to the UEFI firmware which makes it a doddle to install UEFI ransomware and prevent the BRIX devices from booting.

The Cylance researchers say the same flaws can be used to plant rootkits that allow attackers to persist malware for years. The two vulnerabilities discovered are CVE-2017-3197 and CVE-2017-3198.

CVE-2017-3197 exists because Gigabyte failed to put write protection on its UEFI firmware. The second vulnerability is because they forgot to implement a system that cryptographically signs UEFI firmware files.

Cylance claims that Gigabyte uses an insecure firmware update process, which doesn't check the validity of downloaded files using a checksum and uses HTTP instead of HTTPS.

While Gigabyte's Brix did get shiny new 7th gen Core Kaby Lake CPUs, the design of the Brix mini-PC lineup pretty much remained the same, so you are looking at two versions, a 0.46L (34.4 x 112.6 x 119.4mm) version and a 0.6L (46.8 x 112.6 x 119.4mm) Brix version which comes with enough room to fit an additional 2.5-inch drive. The rest of the specifications include USB 3.1 Type-C and Type-A ports, USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, as well as HDMI and DisplayPort outputs.

When it comes to Intel Kaby Lake CPUs, Gigabyte's new Brix lineup will be coming with three different options, including the Intel Core i3-7100U, Core i5-7200U, or Core i7-7500U. All three CPUs are dual-core SKUs with support for Intel Hyper-Threading and pack 3MB cache for the Core i3 and Core i5 and 4MB on the Core i7-7500U. All three have the same 15W TDP and pack Intel HD Graphics 620 IGP with 300MHz base and 1.0GHz Boost GPU clock as well as a support for 32GB of DDR4-2133MHz memory in two SO-DIMM slots.

The Core i3-7100U works at 2.4GHz base clock but does not support Turbo, while the Core i5-7200U and Core i7-7500U work at 2.5GHz and 2.7GHz base CPU clocks with max Turbo of 3.1GHz and 3.5GHz, respectively.

According to Gigabyte, these new CPUs should provide a 10 percent boost in performance but the main benefit comes from the new video engine with HEVC 10-bit hardware acceleration for 4K playback, which significantly improves both performance and power efficiency, according to some earlier Kaby Lake CPU reviews.

Again, according to Gigabyte, these Brix mini-PC systems with Kaby Lake CPUs should start hitting retail/e-tail soon but the price was not announced.

The ultra-compact PC are decked out in brushed aluminium. They are being designed as HTPC/multimedia hub, ultra-low power PC or as a digital signage unit.

The new Thunderbolt 3 protocol, which is available over a USB Type-Cconnector on the back panel of the GIGABYTE BRIX T models, brings an single-wire bandwidth of up to 40 Gb/s – double the previous generation of Thunderbolt.

It supports protocols such as DisplayPort 1.2 means it can drive a 4K resolution display at 60 FPS, and USB 3.1. It is also backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. Thunderbolt 3 over USB Type-C can daisy-chain up to six devices.

These BRIX units have 10Gb/s USB3.1 Gen. 2 protocol over the new reversible USB Type-C port. These use 4 PCIe Gen. three lanes. We are assured that there will not be a huge lorry going at 50mph in the middle lane.

Gigabyte said that this spec does not need an additional graphics card, and it can manage multiple displays easily. The press release did not mention price but we expect the i5 version to appear on the US market for about $480 without the hardrive or RAM.

Gigabyte’s Brix series of mini-PCs and barebones is getting some fresh Intel silicon in the form of 14nm Broadwell processors.

The update comes as no surprise, as Gigabyte has a habit of updating Brix products on a regular basis, sometimes even beating Intel’s NUC in terms of new features. Intel announced Broadwell-based NUCs a few weeks ago, but so far only the Core i3-5010U is available in Europe – and availability is rather limited.

Overclockers.co.uk is now listing three new Gigabyte Brix models, including a Core i3-5010U model (Brix GB-BXi3H-5010). However, Gigabyte also has three much more powerful models – the Brix GB-BXi5H-5200, based on the Core i5-5200U, and the Brix GB-BXi7H-5500, powered by a much beefier Core i7-5500U processor. As we pointed out last month, new Broadwell parts don't feature spectacular base clocks, but their Turbo clocks are substantially higher than on comparable Haswell-based parts.

All three models share the same chassis and much of the hardware, so you’re looking at two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots, a single mSATA 6Gbps port, one 2.5-inch drive bay, and an M.2 10Gbps port, used by the WiFi/Bluetooth module.

While the Core i7 and Core i5 models offer a lot more CPU muscle, all three processors share the same Intel HD Graphics 5500 GPU, 3MB of cache and a TDP of 15W. The price difference between these versions and the Core i3 model is substantial and many consumers may find it hard to justify. The Core i7 version is listed at 454.99 GBP, the Core i5 SKU costs 344.99 GBP, while the Core i3 unit goes for 291,99 GBP. Overclockers.co.uk is currently taking pre-orders and none of them are available yet.

Keep in mind that this is just a single listing and the prices aren’t official yet, but Intel’s NUC with an almost identical spec seems a bit cheaper, as the Core i3 model can be ordered for 250 GBP in Britain or 299 EUR in Germany.

Gigabyte recently introduced the first AMD-based Brix mini PC, which is basically Gigabyte’s take on the Intel NUC. It’s based on the A8-5545M APU clocked at 1.7GHz, but it also happens to pack a quite powerful Radeon HD 8510G with 384 VLIW4 cores. We talked about it here.

The AMD-based Brix is now shipping and it costs about €250 in Europe, on top of which you’ll have to invest in an mSATA drive, some memory and a few other bits. Computershopper.com got hold of a retail sample and it put it through its paces. The tests revealed that the CPU can’t match Ivy Bridge Core i3 parts used in last year’s NUC, but it does put up a good fight in graphics benchmarks.

In 3DMark 11 it beats the Core i3 3217U by a factor of 2 to 1 and it matches the much pricier Haswell Core i5 based NUCs. In Aliens vs. Predator it beats even the Haswell Core i5, but Intel pulls ahead in Heaven. Not bad for a €250 barebone, as it can hold its own against much pricier Intel based systems in GPU tests. In the CPU department it can’t.

However, as computershopper points out – neither system will let you run the latest games at anything resembling smooth frame rates. On the other hand, some golden oldies should have no trouble running on its 384-core GPU, so for some people it might be a better choice than a cheap mini PC based on Core i3 3xxx parts.

The biggest complaint is that it can get quite noisy under load, since it is cooled by a tiny blower fan and it needs a lot of airflow when the APU is maxed out.

Too bad there aren’t any ULV Kaveri parts around, but we’ll see them later this year. AMD thinks it can gain a foothold in the mini PC market thanks to superior graphics on budget parts and we believe it can, that's why we're keeping our eyes peeled for AMD-based products in this niche. To make it all happen, AMD has to get enough hardware partners on board, of course.

Gigabyte is one of few vendors to buy into Intel's NUC push and we have to admit it is doing a somewhat better job than Intel. In addition to Intel based systems, Gigabyte is also looking at AMD parts and earlier this month it introduced the first NUC-sized barebones based on Richland low-voltage parts. You can check out the first AMD based Brix unit here.

However, the new Brix Gaming is going a step further. It's got a much bigger chassis based on recently introduced Brix Pro barebones. It measures 59.6 x 128 x 115.4mm but unlike standard Brix and NUC units, it also has a 2.5-inch drive bay in addition to an mSATA port. This means you can use a speedy mSATA SSD as a system drive and add some cheap storage in the form of a standard 2.5-inch hard drive. It also has four USB 3.0 ports, ac wireless and Bluetooth 4.0.

It is based on an A8-5557M APU, a quad-core Richland part with a base clock of 2.1GHz and a Turbo Core clock of 3.1GHz. The APU features HD 8550G graphics with 256 shader units. However, it also has a discrete R9 M275X GPU.

While it doesn't exactly sound like a high-end gaming rig, bear in mind that it is coming in a tiny package and it should still have plenty of muscle for most games. It might also make a sweet Steam machine. Unfortunately there is still no word on the retail price, but it won't come cheap. The Brix GB-BXA8-5545, with an A8-5545 APU sans discrete graphics, is priced at €249 and the gaming version should end up quite a bit pricier.

A couple of months after Intel launched its first NUC systems, Gigabyte entered the fray with its diminutive Brix barebones. Measuring just 107x114x29mm, Brix boxes are about the same size as Intel’s NUC, but they have a few things going for them.

First of all cheap Intel NUC barebones do not feature USB 3.0, which is standard on Brix units. Secondly, you can’t exactly get an AMD APU in an Intel system.

The new Brix GB-BXA8-5545 does just that – it is not based on a Haswell or Celeron processor, it features AMD’s A8-5545M APU. This is of course a Richland based part, with four CPU cores clocked at 1.7GHz, but Turbo Core can bring them up to 2.7GHz, which is not bad for a 19W part. Best of all, it features Radeon HD 8510G graphics, with 384 VLIW4 cores. Although 384 cores sounds like a lot, bear in mind that this is an ULV part, so the GPU is clocked at a relatively modest 450MHz, although it can hit 554MHz on Turbo. Basically it should be as fast as entry level discrete cards from a couple of years ago, like the HD 5570 or GT 620.

Still, this is very impressive for such a tiny system and the price is very competitive, too. According to early EU listings, Gigabyte wants just €249 for the Richland powered Brix. This makes it about 20 percent more expensive than a Jaguar A4-5000 barebones mini PC from Zotac. As for Intel NUC kits, you can get a Core i3-4010U system, i.e. a dual-core Haswell clocked at 1.7GHz with Intel HD Graphics 4400.

Sadly we still don't know much about AMD's Kaveri ULV plans, but thanks to better thermals we expect to see quite a few AMD-based mini PCs later this year.

Gigabyte has launched a new mini PC with some quite powerful internals, all packed in a diminutive 29.9mm x 107.6mm x 114.4mm chassis. If you think it looks familiar, it should. It is practically Gigabyte’s take on the Intel NUC.

Like the NUC the BRIX PC will ship as a barebone DIY kit and it is available with a range of Intel processors, including Core i3, i5 a i7 chips. As it is too small for traditional 2.5-inch storage, it relies of an mSATA slot for SSDs. It also has two SO-DIMM memory slots and can take up to 16GB of RAM.

HDMI, mini DisplayPort, WiFi and two USB 3.0 ports are also on board. All in all it looks like a more powerful version of the NUC and the price will probably reflect this. Sadly though, Gigabyte has not revealed any pricing info.

The BRIX should show up this summer. However, judging by the weather in much of Europe, summer is probably coming in August or September.